Reenforcing splint for wax foundations



Dec, 2, 1924.

W. SEBELIN REENFORCING SPLINT FOR WAX FOUNDATIONS Failed March 51, 1924 1 wvzu 'oz Patented Dec. 2, 1924,

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WILLIAM SEBELIN', 0F CAMAS, MONTANA.

n-nnnronome SPLIN'T roe WAX FOUNDATIONS.

Application filed March 31, 1924. Serial No. 703,255.

To all "HIUHIL it may canoe m Be it known that I, TVILLIAM SEBELIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camas, in the county of Sanders and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reenforcing Splints for Van: Foundations, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to novel means for supporting the wax foundation in the brood frames of bee hives.

The need for such a provision arises from the fact that the foundation is quite plastic at the hive temperature and apt to sag when unsupported, particularly near the top, when weighted down with a mass of bees engaged in drawing the comb. The result of this sagging or stretching is to enlarge or deform the cells of the hexagonal pattern stamped upon the foundation, rendering them unfit for worker brood, so that disproportionate areas of the comb become unproductive, being left vacant by the queen or given over to the rearing of drone brood.

Many oxpedients have been tried to prevent stretching of the foundation, the most widely practiced being the reenfo-rcing of the foundation by horizontal wires laced from one side of the frame to the other and embedded in the foundation. This is not an ideal expedient, however, because the wiring and embedding is a tedious undertaking and the foundation is inevitably weakened on the lines where the wires are embedded and the wires have a tendency to cut through the ribs which form the peripheralWvalls of the hexagonal cells, thus reducingthe effective thickness of the foundation merely to that of the bottom wall of the cells. Moreover, after a frame has been properly wired the act of positioning it in the hive sometimes requires considerable forcing upon the top bar which is apt to twist the frame somewhat from its true rectangular shape and to loosen the wiring and cause bulging of the foundation. Already-wired foundation has also been tried but this requires especially constructed frames with means for clamping the ends of the wires at both sides or both ends of the frames according to whether the wires run horizontally or vertically. In all cases where several strands of wires are used the cells intersected by the Wires are likely to be rejected by the bees, reducing to an appreciable extent the brood rearing area of the frame.

Vertical splints also have been tried, but so far these have been for the most part impractical make-shifts and their use has been abandoned as not producing satisfactory results.

The object of the present invention is to provide means cooperating with the top and bottom bars of the brood frame for supporting the foundation, said means clampingly engaging the foundation at opposite sides andin'the same plane without cutting through the ribs" which form the walls between adjacent cells and therefore itnaintaining the full strength of the foundaion.

Another object of the invention is to provide said means of considerable width, yet not exceeding the width of the top bar of the frame, so that, when the comb is built in adherence to said means, it will be firmly supported in a direction at right angles to the plane of the foundation. Still another object of theinventionis the provision of foundation supporting means which can be applied to a frame without any disfigurement or alteration of the latter, it not being necessary toeven subject the frame to the driving of nail-holes therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide foundation supporting means comprising a pair of splints co-acting to engage the foundation between them in clamping relation, said splints being secured by a bendable member adapted to encompass the top bar of the frame, the lower ends of said the sides of the bottom bar and the ends of said splints being held together by means bridging said bottom bar.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the improved reenforcing splints for wax foundation illus trated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and particularly claimed, and in. such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention i illustrated:

' splints being rabbeted for engagement with Figure 1 is a side elevation of a frame showing my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top view of the frame on an enlarged scale, parts thereof being broken away.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4t is a cross sectional view of two frames in the relative position which they occupy within the bee hive, showing the preservation of the bee spaces between adjacent frames provided with my invention.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of an upper portion of the frame, indicating the manner in which my invention is applied.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral '1 represents a frame having the top bar 2 and bottom bar 8, the latter being slightly narrower than the top bar. The end pieces a and 5 are connected in any suitable manner to the top and bottom bars, for instance by dovetailed joints as shown, the top bar projecting beyond the end pieces at 6 and 7, to engage cleats or rabbets, (not shown) on the inner sides of the ends of the bee hive, by means of which the frame is suspended. Usually eight or ten frames are arranged side by side in parallel relation within the hive.

In the practical embodiment of the frame used for illustrative purposes, the lower face of the top bar is cut away longitudinally forming a rabbet 8 reaching substantially to the longitudinal center of the lower surface of the top bar and forming a shoulder 9 against which the upper edge of the sheet of foundation 10 rests, said foundation being held in place by a relatively thin batten 11 seated in the rabbet and which is pressed into close frictional engagement with the foundation at the upper edge of the latter and nailed securely in place in this position. The foundation generally terminates a slight distance above the bottom bar of the frame as is indicated at 12 in Figure at. So much of the structure as has been described up to this point is old in the art.

lVhen a frame furnished with foundation in the manner indicated is placed in the bee hive the bees proceed to draw it out into comb. To do this they gather upon the foundation in great numbers. The temperature of the hive .is suflicient-ly elmated to maintain the wax foundation in a rather pliable state so that the weight of the bees is apt to stretch it, causing it to sag downwardly and deforming or enlarging the hexagonal cells which. are stamped upon the foundation. These cells are normally of exactly the size acceptable to the queen bee for the rearing of worker brood, but when they are deformed or enlarged they are ignored by the queen or used merely for the rearing of drone brood. As the productiveness of the hive depends upon the number of worker bees, and the number of the latter is dependent upon the area of the comb available for the rearing of the worker brood, it is evident that the productiveness of the hive is seriously reduced by the stretching of the foundation. To prevent said stretching I have devised means, the same constituting my invention, which is here shown as applied to a frame of the ordinary Hoffman construction but which may be so varied in form and configuration as to be adaptable to almost any of the known forms of frame, without dcparting from the principle of the invention.

My invention consists of a pair of narrow rigid splints 13 and 14: united by a bendable member 15, the latter being of suflicient length to pass around the top and. sides of the top bar, and being formed with suitable means at its ends for permanent engagement with said splints. Said engag ing means is shown as consisting of a pair of oppositely disposed leaves 16, preferably made integral with the bendable member 15, and embracing the opposite sides of the splint. Any suitable means may be used for securing said leaves to said splints in a permanent manner such as the punched indentation 17 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The bendable member is preferably constructed of flat sheet metal so as to lie close to the top bar when bent thereabout and. thus oppose no obstruction to the free passage of bees longitudinally of the frame either above or at the sides of said top bar.

The splints 13 and 14: are recessed at their lower ends as shown at 18 so as to embrace both the top and sides of the bottom bar, said splints being held in place by means such as the wide staple 19, the latter bridging the bottom bar and 'ienctrating the ends of the splints which overhang the bottom bar. By means of this construction no alteration or disfiguration of the frame is necessitated, not even the driving of a single nail into the frame structure. When it is desired to remove the splints a prying memher. such as the hive tool. or a screwdriver is placed between thc staple 19 and the bottom bar. When the staple has been ren'ioved the splints can. be spread in the manner shown in Figure 5 and lifted from the top bar leaving the frame intact. The thickness of the splints is preferably such as to make them terminate flush with the sides of the top bar. This provides a beeway between the splints of adjacent frames as shown at in Figure 4. At the same time, the width of the splints provides a support for the adherence of the comb throughout its entire thickness in a direction at a right angle to ill) the plane of the foundation thus affording a support which cannot be furnished by a wire or other reenforcing means which lies entirely within the foundation. Moreover, when the splints are positioned in clamped relation against the foundation they merely press it frictionally without severing or otherwise destroying the ribs or walls between the adjacent cells, thereby avoiding the weakening of the foundation which, as stated. hereinbefore is a defect of all wiring arrangements.

\Vhile I have here shown my invention as constituted in part by a flat sheet metal bendable member, it is well within the spirit of the invention to substitute other bendable means such as a round wire for holding the splints together. Vhen sold as an article of manufacture the splints may occupy the position shown in Figure 4 with the bendable member already bent to conform with the shape of the cross section of the frame or if desired said bendable member may be shipped unbent and afterwards made to conform to the cross section of the top bar when applied to the frame.

It is to be understood that the use of my reenforcing splints is not confined to frames for the brood chamber but that they are equally well adapted to reenforce the comb in those frames which are to be used for the production of extracted honey. It is a matter of common knowledge that such combs are subjected to strain in the centrifugal extractor which sometimes stresses them to the breaking point. The use of the rigid vertical splints of my invention affords adequate support for the combs during the extracting process.

\Vhile I have above described what I have found to be a very practical embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the reenforcing splints for wax foundation may also be exemplified in numerous other alternative constructions and I accordingly reserve the right of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A foundation supportfor use in a frame for holding honey-comb comprising a pair of splints adapted to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation in said frame and means embracing the top and sides of the top bar of said frame and connected at its opposite ends to said splints.

2. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb comprising a pair of splints adapted to engage the opposite sides of a. sheet of foundation in said frame and bendable means embracing the top and sides of the top bar of said frame and connected at its opposite ends to said splints.

3. Afoundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb comprising a pair of splints adapted to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation in said frame and flat bendable means embrac- .ing the top and sides of the top bar of said frame and connected at its opposite ends to said splints.

4. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb, comprising a pair of splints adapted to be positioned between the top and bottom bars of said frame to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation held therein, means for embracing the top and sides of said top bar and connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said splints, and means for bridging said bottom bar and engaging the lower ends of said splints to hold them together.

5. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb, comprising a pair of splints adapted to be positioned between the top and bottom bars of said frame to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation held therein, bendable means for embracing the top and sides of said top bar and connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said splints, and means for bridging said bottom bar and engaging the lower ends of said splints to hold them together.

6. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb, comprising a pair of splints adapted to be positioned between the top and bottom bars of the frame and to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation held therein, the lower ends of said splints being rabbeted to overhang the sides of said bottom bar, means for embracing the top and sides of the top bar and connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said splints, and a staple for bridging the bottom bar and adapted to be driven into the overhanging portions of said splints to hold them together.

7. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb, comprising a pair of splints adapted to be positioned between the top and bottom bars of the frame and to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation held therein, the lower ends of said splints being rabbeted to overhang the sides of said bottom bar, bendable means for embracing the top and sides of said top bar and connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said splints, and a staple for bridging the bottom bar and adapted to be driven into the overhanging portions of said splints to hold them together.

8. A foundation support for use in a frame for holding honey-comb, comprising a pair of splints adapted to be positioned between the top and bottom bars of the frame and to engage the opposite sides of a sheet of foundation held therein, the lower ends of said splints being rabbeted to overhang the sides of said bottom bar, fiat bendable means for embracing the top and sides of the top bar and connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said splints, and 10 a staple for bridging the bottom bar and adapt-ed to be driven into the overhanging portions of said splints to hold them together.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand.

WILLIAM SEBELIN, 

